Joe Burrow already carries enough responsibility as the face of the Cincinnati Bengals. NFL analyst Colin Cowherd said the franchise quarterback is also their “best scout.”
During Friday’s episode of “The Herd,” Cowherd ripped the Bengals’ ownership and personnel department for their continued failure to build a complete roster around Burrow. He eventually landed one particularly embarrassing blow.
Colin Cowherd calls Joe Burrow the Bengals’ best scout
Cowherd pointed toward Cincinnati’s decision to select Ja’Marr Chase with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Burrow knew Chase better than any evaluator after the pair helped LSU complete an undefeated national championship season in 2019.
Cincinnati considered using that selection on an offensive lineman before taking Chase. Cowherd credited Burrow with pushing the organization toward the receiver who ultimately transformed its offense.
“He begged them to draft Ja’Marr Chase, who was his teammate at LSU,” Cowherd said. “He begged them. So, they don’t have much of a scouting department, but their best scout appears to be Joe Burrow.”
Cowherd’s version is slightly more dramatic than Burrow’s previous account. Burrow said in 2022 that he did not explicitly demand that Cincinnati select Chase, though the Bengals included him in conversations about the pick.
The final decision could hardly have worked out better. Chase quickly developed into one of the NFL’s most dangerous receivers while helping Cincinnati reach the Super Bowl during his rookie season.
Burrow deserves some credit for understanding how easily their LSU connection would translate. That does not mean the quarterback should become an unofficial member of the personnel department.